Improvement in guides for sewing-machines



2 Shetv-Sheet i. L. W. SERRELL.

Sewing Machine Guide.

Patented Nov. 22, 1859.

r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. W. SERRELL.

Sewing Machine Guide. No. 26,201 "Patented Nbv. 22, 1859.

N. PETERS Pho omhu n hm Washington, ac.

hinge-pin for introducing the goods.

UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL \V. SERRELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUIDES FOR SEWING-MACHINES.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26.207, dated November22, 1859 T 0 (EU whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEMUEL W.SERRELL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvementsin Guides for Sewing-Machines and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construc tion andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making part of this specification, wherein Figure l is a plan of myimproved guide. Fig. 2 is the same turned over to receive the cloth.Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is the hem-spreader.Fig. 5 is a plan of the guide adapted to turn the edge of the clothunder the goods. Fig. 6 is the same instrument adjusted to a narrowwidth of hem. Fig. 7 is a side view. Fig. 8 is an end View of saidhemmer, and Fig. 9 is an inverted plan of the tongue and tucker.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts. I

The present invention is an improvement on that for which Letters Patentweregranted to me 011 the 11th day of May, .1858.

My said invention relates to providing a yielding and adjustablespringmouth, between which and a plate the goods pass, so that thehemmer'is adapted to different thicknesses of goods, and can also passseams which would obstruct those hemmers or guides that have a fixedmouth, and so that there is not too much pressure on the goods to bindor obstruct their free passage through the guide by the feed of thesewing-machine.

In order to facilitate the introduction of the goods into the hemmer, Ifit such guide onto a pin or its equivalent, whereon it can be drawnback from the needle and pressure-foot of the machine, or can be turnedup on such With some machines it is important to turn the hem upwardonto the surface of the cloth. With others-such as a chainstitch sewingmachine-it is desired to turn the hem under the cloth; I have thereforeshown this hem-guide in the two forms adapted to these purposes, the'onebeing the same as the other, only inverted and fitted so as to beattached onto the plate.

I will proceed to describe the guide shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,which turns the hem above the cloth. I

a is a plate or arm attached to the bed of the l machine by a screw, 1,or extended to the fixed arm of the machine or attached in anyconvenient manner, according to circumstances.

I) is the hinge-pin, extending from the arm or plate a at such a levelfrom the bed of the sewing-machine that the hemmer 0 will set properlythereon. In this hemmer c is a slot, 2, in which the gage d is steadiedand slides, and is clamped atany point by the screw 3.

e is a tongue formed of a U shape, so that one leg slides into a mortisein c. The other leg lies in a raceway formed by a proj ectiou, 10, onthe under side of 0. At this point diagonal grooves 9 are formed in theunder side of 0, running toward the angle 10 in such a manner that theedge of the cloth, as it passes between 6 and 0, tends to make the goodsrun in with a wider edge for turning over, thus compensating for theforce acting against this edge to fold it over the tongue 0, and alsoacting to stretch the edge of the cloth widthwise and compensate for thestretching of the edge of the materials lengthwise, which always occursin tearing the cloth.

In order to facilitate entering the cloth be tween 0 and e, I provide ahorn, 5, extending from the projecting angle 10 in a diagonal andtwisted form, that not only smooths the cloth in passing between thetongue and plate, but acts in aid of the grooves 9 to keep the edge intothe hemmer.

' f is a tucker passing through a mortise in c, and extending in an openrecess in 10 to the tongue 6. This tucker is made of thin steel, orother material that will easily spring nearer -to or farther from theplate 0,- and 4 is a regulating-screw acting, as seen in Fig. 5, toretain the point of this tucker at a greater or less distance from theplate 0,- and thereby form a mouth of the necessary width for the goodsto run through easily, and at the same time the spring of the tuckerallows any extra thickness to pass through easily. The tucker f, at theinner end, requires to be diagonal to the tongue e, and for this purposemay be a straight spring in a diagonal position, or a curved end, asshown, and an offset or stop may be provided to prevent the tuckerdrawing entirely out.

The tongue 0 can be drawn out and a narrower or wider one inserted. Iusually pro vide two tongues for each he1n1ner-one nar- 'row for thinwork, the other wider and stiffer for heavy goods.

' Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be understood that in running anarrow hem, or one The swell 0 lifts and commences to turn the the widthof the tongue 6, the gage 01 must be sufficiently close to e to keep thegoods to place, but at the same time allow the goods to pass freely oneach side of e. I enter the edge of the cloth between the tongue 6 andhorn 5, draw back f, if desired, pass the goods through sufficiently forthe feed of the machine to take hold, crease the edge of the cloth overtongue e at angle 10, leaving the amount desired to be folded in of theedge at the hem, slide in tucker f, that holds this edge down, (and inthe hemming tucks the edge of the cloth in under the tongue 6,) turn thehemmer over onto the bed, the operation of which forms the second foldin the cloth. The goods now run through the guide in the relativeposition shown by the lines under Fig. 3, care being taken to guide theedge of the cloth by hand properly under the horn 5, and with wide hemsto have the ends of the hem square and even upon starting.

In order to form a wide hem, I introduce the spreader 9, that is mountedin a stock, h, beneath a gage, 8, and held by a'screw, 7; and 6 a pin onthe stock h. When this spreader is to be used, I insert the pin 6 in ahole in the hemmer 0, provided for this purpose, loosen the screw 7,slide the spreader along to form the desired width of hem between thetongue 6 and spreader g, and slide gage 8 along so that the end showswhere the operator is to keep the edge of the goods, slide d along to 4near 9 and clamp it, allowing suffioient room for the goods to passfreely. (See Fig. 1.) In entering the goods for wide hems, the hemmer cis drawn back, turned over, and the spreader 9 turned up on the pin 6out of the way, and when the edge of the cloth has been entered the sameas for narrow hems turn down spreader 9, turn over 0, and proceed withthe sewing.

secure by Letters Patent, is

From the foregoing description the operation of the hemmer, Figs. 5, 6,7, 8, and 9, will I be apparent, the same letters being on thecorresponding parts.

The plate a, for convenience, is formed thinner; and b is the part onwhich the hemmer can be drawn back for convenience of entering thegoods. The tongue 6 and tucker f are formed together, and the springattaching them is folded, as in Fig. 9, and passes under the plate 0,where it is attached by slots and screws 12, so that the width betweenthe tongue 6 and the turning-scroll 0 may be adjusted according to thethickness of cloth; but the parts will spring for any unusual thickness.\Vhen the hem is turned under the cloth, great necessity exists forkeeping the edge of the cloth into the hemmer, because the operatorcannot see to guide it;

hence I form diagonal grooves on the under side of the tongue e, as wellas on the upper side of c and t is an adjustable gage,beneath which theedge of the cloth is guided, and the proper amount allowed to pass intothe hemedge, and the tucker f completes the operation by passing theedge between the tongue and the goods that are over the same. Thehem-spreader g passes beneath lips 11 11, that confine it and allow ofits being slid to any desired position, according to the width of hem.This gage d is confined by a tongue and cross-pin under the slot 2, andthe screw 3 is at the end thereof, to be out of the way of the goods. isis a smoother on the screw 13, that, when the goods have been properlyentered, is turned around into the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 5 against the stop 14, and acts to, keep the upper surface of thegoods smooth in forming wide hems. I11 all instances the projection orangle 10 guides the folded edge of the hem to as near the needle aspossible, and the slots in the plates a allow for adjustment, so as toperform the stitching as near the edge of the hem as possible. The gaged also answers as an ordinary guide for the width of a tuck or fold; andmy hemmer or guide can be used for felling as well as for hemming.

; the right to the left. The hemmer, when not in use, can he slid offpin or tongue 1).

Having thusdescribed my said invention, I

' wish it to be understood that I do not herein claim, broadly,regulating the width of hem by a spreader and gage, both of which areadjustable or variable, the same being in the aforesaid patent; neitherdo I herein claim the independent tongue e.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to l. A spring-tucker acting tofold the edge of the hem against the plate of the hemmer, 1 whencombined with the adj usting-screw 4 or its equivalent, whereby thepressure of the tucker on thegoods and the opening or mouth left fortheir passage are regulated, as set forth.

2. The horn 5, in combination with the tongue 6, for the purposes and asspecified.

3. The arrangement of the hem-spreader stock It and gage d, for thepurposes and as specified.

4. Attaching the guide or hemmer to the sewingrmachine by a cylindricalpin or hinge to permit the said guide or hemmer to be turned .up orinverted, so that the edge of the cloth at the beginning of hem can beproperly entered and folded while in this position, as

set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 16th day ofJune, 1859.

LEMUEL W. SERRELL. Witnesses:

Tnos. G120. HAROLD, CHAS. H. SMITH.

